Idioms — Set 98

Set 98 of Idioms covers 5 idioms: bite your tongue, walk the walk, take someone for a ride, raise the bar, pull a rabbit out of a hat. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. bite your tongue · idiom/baɪt jʊr tʌŋ/

   to hold back from saying something you want to say

   I wanted to tell my boss exactly how I felt, but I had to bite my tongue to avoid trouble.

   Origin: From the 1500s — biting your own tongue physically stops you from speaking the words you really want to say.

2. walk the walk · idiom/wɔk ðə wɔk/

   to prove your abilities through actions, not just words

   He doesn’t just talk about helping people—he actually walks the walk by volunteering every weekend.

   Origin: From the American expression 'talk the talk, walk the walk' — meaning actions must match the bold words spoken.

3. take someone for a ride · idiom/teɪk ˈsʌmwʌn fɚ ə raɪd/

   to deceive or cheat someone

   The salesman took her for a ride, charging double the normal price for the repairs.

   Origin: From American 1920s gangster slang — when gangsters drove someone away for a ride, the victim never returned alive.

4. raise the bar · idiom/reɪz ðə bɑr/

   to set a higher standard for success or performance

   Every time we meet our sales goals, the manager raises the bar and expects even better results.

   Origin: From high jumping — the bar height increases as a competition progresses, forcing athletes to jump higher each round.

5. pull a rabbit out of a hat · idiom/pʊl ə ˈræbɪt aʊt əv ə hæt/

   to do something surprising or seemingly impossible

   The magician pulled a rabbit out of a hat when he managed to fix the broken machine just in time.

   Origin: From classic stage magic — magicians astonished audiences by appearing to pull a living rabbit from an empty top hat.